NEW DELHI:
The Delhi High Court on Friday directed the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to remove within four weeks slums from its part of 1.5 acre of land behind Retreat Cooperative Group Housing Society in the I.P. Extension area of East Delhi.

A Division Bench of the Court comprising Justice Vijender Jain and Justice R.S. Sodhi issued the direction on a contempt of court petition by the housing society saying that though the Public Works Department (PWD) of the Delhi Government had removed the encroachments from its part of land as per the direction of the Court in December 2004, the DDA had failed to implement the order.

The counsel for the housing society, Pushkar Sood, urged the Court to summon the DDA Vice-Chairman if the fresh order for removal of the unauthorised structures was not implemented within the deadline.

On the petition by the housing society, the Court had on December 17, 2004, directed PWD and DDA to remove the slums put up on public land. The petitioner had urged the Court to direct the two respondents to remove the jhuggis and use the land as per the Zonal Plan after the evacuation.

The petitioner urged the Court to initiate contempt of court proceedings against the DDA but the Bench gave it one more opportunity.